Ball-carrying structure

ABSTRACT

The ball-carrying structure complying with this invention consists of a supporting member ( 3 ) fitted with at least one orifice of suited diameter in order to accommodate one ball ( 5 ) by a slightly forcible nesting motion.  
     This ball-carrying structure comprises advantageously a hooking system ( 6, 7, 8 ) onto a carrying structure ( 2 ), such as a key-holder ring.  
     This invention relates to a original structure enabling the reception of one or several balls, in particular game balls, notably with a view to storing or displaying the said.  
     The ball-carrying structure complying with this invention consists of a supporting member fitted with at feast one orifice of suited diameter in order to accommodate one ball by a slightly forcible nesting motion.  
     The corresponding orifice(s) is (are) generally circular in shape and their wall is preferably flexible to enable reception and maintenance of the ball by slight deformation of the said wall.  
     According to a possible embodiment, the ball-carrying structure consists of a ring made of flexible material; this ring may be in the form of a partial cylinder.  
     According to another embodiment, the ball-carrying structure consists of a plate made of a flexible material of a few millimeters in thickness, fitted with at least one orifice for accommodating a ball; this plate may comprise a plurality of orifices for accommodating balls, of identical or different diameters according to the diameter of the balls to be accommodated.  
     Preferably, the ball support comprises a system that enables to hook the said support onto a carrying support.  
     According to a preferred embodiment, this support is made of a moulded flexible material and it comprises an orifice to enable hooking this support onto the carrying structure.  
     According to a particular embodiment, the ball-carrying structure complying with the invention makes up the appended member of a key-holder ring.

[0001] But the invention will be better illustrated, without any restrictions, by the following description followed by two particular embodiments, given solely for exemplification purposes and represented on the appended drawings in which:

[0002]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball-carrying key-holder complying with this invention, whereas the ball is represented as disconnected from the key-holder,

[0003]FIG. 2 shows the key-holder of FIG. 1 on which the ball is mounted;

[0004]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another possible embodiment of a ball-carrying key-holder, with the balls represented individually;

[0005]FIG. 4 shows the key-holder of FIG. 3 on which are mounted the various balls.

[0006] The ball-carrying structure 1 illustrated on FIGS. 1 and 2 is in the form of a key-holder, with a ring 2 for accommodating the keys, associated with an appending member 3.

[0007] This appending member 3 consists of a ring made of a moulded flexible material (for example plastic material, latex, rubber, . . .) fitted with an orifice 4 whose diameter is suited to enable reception and slightly forcible locking of a ball 5. In the ‘home’ position, the diameter of the orifice is slightly less than that of the diameter of the ball 5.

[0008] The ring 3 is in the form of a partial cylinder. The thickness of this cylinder can be in the order of 2 or 3 mm; its length can be in the order of 5 mm, here, significantly less than the diameter of the ball 5.

[0009] A single-block extension 6 fitted with an orifice 7 enables passing a link 8 through in order to hook the ball-carrying flexible ring 3 onto the key-holder ring 2.

[0010] Any ball diameter can be contemplated (even balls of large diameters, usually called ‘marbles’), whereas the diameter of the flexible ring 3 is shaped accordingly.

[0011] The flexible wall of the orifice 4 ensures removable locking of the ball 5 that can be removed and repositioned at will; this flexible wall enables absorbing the small size differences of the balls associated with the manufacturing techniques implemented.

[0012] Generally, the structure of the ring 3 and the type of material used for its realisation are shaped according to the clamping and behaviour characteristics desired.

[0013]FIGS. 3 and 4 show another structure of a key-holder 9. Here, the appending member 10 of the key-holder ring 2 is in the shape of a triangular plate obtained by moulding a flexible material, for example a plastic material, latex, rubber or other.

[0014] This plate 10 whose thickness ranges in the order of a few millimeters, comprises three circular orifices 11 that enable sightly forcible reception of three balls 12.

[0015] The thickness of the plate 10 and the flexibility of the material used for this realisation are still suited in relation to the clamping and behaviour characteristics desired.

[0016] Obviously, the overall shape of the plate 10 can be completely different, according to the global aesthetic required, or in relation to the technical constraints associated with the number of balls that should be accommodated.

[0017] Possibly, the diameters of the orifices 12 can be different on the reception plate 10, for better wedging of the balls or of marbles of different diameters.

[0018]FIGS. 3 and 4 underline the presence of an orifice 13 provided in the plate made of flexible material 10, to enable hooking this plate onto the ring 2 using interlocking links 14.

[0019] The ball-carrying device complying with this invention, can be in the form of a key-holder with 2 structure different from those divulged on FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0020] It can be structure to constitute a reservoir or a ball supply feeder. It can also be contemplated to implement the same holding or maintenance principle of the ball(s) in order lo design informative or advertising structures, or event decorative or ornamental structures, such as pendants, earrings or others.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0021] The instant application is based upon French priority Patent Application No. 00 01331, filed Jan. 31, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety, and the priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119. 

1. A ball-carrying structure characterised in that it consists of a supporting member (3, 10) fitted with at least one orifice (4, 11) of suited diameter in order to accommodate one ball (5, 12) by a slightly forcible nesting motion.
 2. A ball-carrying structure according to claim 1 characterised in that it comprises at least one circular orifice (4, 11) with a flexible wall to enable reception of a ball by slight deformation.
 3. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it consists of a ring (3) made of a flexible material.
 4. A ball-carrying structure according to claim 3 , characterised in that it consists of a cylindrical ring (3) made of a flexible material.
 5. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it consists of a plate (10) made of a flexible material; with a few millimeters in thickness, fitted with at least one orifice (11) for accommodating a ball (12).
 6. A ball-carrying structure according to claim 5 , characterised in that it consists of a plate (10), fitted with a plurality of orifices (11) for accommodating balls (12).
 7. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the claims 1 to 6 , characterised in that it comprises a hooking system (6, 7, 13) on a carrying structure (2).
 8. A ball-carrying structure according to any of the claims 1 to 7 , characterised in that it is made of a moulded flexible material and in that it comprises an orifice (7, 13) that enables hooking it onto a carrying structure (2).
 9. A key-holder composed of a ring (2) for accommodating keys, on which an appending member (3, 10) in the form of a ball-carrying structure can be hooked, according to any of the claims 1 to 8 . 